Genetics
by Ray by Another Name
Summary: A collection of one-shots highlighting different points in the life of Jayne Donovan, Jo and Zane's son. Various points of view. Rated K. Recently re-ordered and chapters added.
1. 10: Important People

Jo looks on at the similarities between her husband and son. Jo's POV, K.

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><p>Genetics<br>Important People  
>Age: 10<p>

I love the weekend. Even the craziest of scientists take Saturdays off. It is the one day a week that I can allow myself to sleep in. Lets me recharge my batteries so I don't shoot one of those crazy scientists the rest of the week!

Waking up today though, I found the other side of the bed cold. Zane had not come to bed the night before. Sighing to myself I got out of bed and grabbed my robe from the seat at the end of the bead. I knew where he would be. I tied the robe closed around me as I walked into the hallway.

As I moved down the stairs I passed the various photos that made up the history of my family. A photo from my wedding made me smile. The white dress I wore sticking out in the line of suits that made up my husband, father, and three brothers. Zane and I had wed just after he had returned from space. It had been one of the best days of my life.

I yawned as I stepped down to the base of the stairs, right where I hung my favorite photo. It was my little boy's seventh birthday! My dad came down for a while to celebrate with us. The photo was of Jayne, my _perfect genius_ son, sitting in Zane's lap while he explained some device he had made to my dad.

All three looked so happy. The three most important men in my life, all together…

Eventually I continued my walk, through the living room and kitchen. Down into the basement floor and up to the door of Zane's home lab. I gritted my teeth as I walked across the cold floor, wishing I had my slippers.

But then I opened the door to Zane's lab and could not help the smile that came across my face at the adorable sight before me.

Jayne and Zane had both fallen asleep at the lab table with their work in front of them. Their identical mops of black hair were sticking out of their folded arms. Zane's lab coat was draped over Jayne as a blanket; obviously he had fallen asleep first.

I rushed back up stairs as quietly as possible to grab my camera. Once I had taken the shot I wanted I crept up to Zane. I gently woke him, a finger to my lips so he knew to be quiet.

Zane yawned as he woke, stretching slowly as he took in his surroundings. He grinned too when he caught sight of Jayne. Honestly, who wouldn't!

Even Zane could see how much our son was like him. Jayne was like a mini-Zane at times, at ten he was already spouting out a bunch of science stuff I barely grasped. I choose to ignore his already capable hacking skills.

I watched with a smile as Zane picked up Jayne in his arms, Jayne only woke slightly to wrap his arms around his father's neck. I took another photo as Zane carried our son to his bedroom so he could sleep in his bed. This photo was _so_ going on the wall!

"Did you finish the algorithm?" Jayne mumbled as we walked back up to the second floor. I laughed slightly at that, it figured the boy would worry about that before anything else…

Zane shook his head with a smile, "Of course not, can't do it without you buddy."

I saw Jayne grin at those words, "Can we finish it today?"

"As soon as you wake up," Zane assured him as we reached Jayne's room. Zane laid him down in his spaceship bed, tucking him into matching blankets before turning away.

"Night, dad," Jayne mumbled as Zane left the room.

I watched from the hallway as Zane whispered back "Sleep well, buddy," before closing the door. As Zane and I walked back to our bedroom he could not help but ask, "Gotta wonder what makes a ten year old that interested in a computer algorithm."

I smirked at him, "It's genetic, of course."

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	2. 11: Jayne's Song

Jo's father asks about Jayne's litte brother and his name. Firefly references are abound, all owned by Joss Whedon (the amazing writer and creator)! Jo's dad's POV. Rated K.

Disclaimer: I do not own Eureka

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><p>Genetics<br>Jayne's Song  
>Age: 11<p>

"So," I started, leaning back against the couch leisurely, "What are you naming this one?"

Carter chuckled from his spot in the armchair of the Donovan home, "Probably something else from Firefly." A very pregnant Jo sent a glare his way from her spot across the room in the opposite armchair.

"Malcolm!" Jayne declared stubbornly from his spot on the floor by his mother. The boy had barely left her side since I got here this morning. The moppy-haired child with blue eyes like his father's seemed to have taken up the role of body-guard until his baby brother was born.

Which is both amusing and adorable considering he looks more like an eight-year -old than an eleven-year-old. I grinned at my grandson, "Why Malcolm?"

Jo scoffed, "Because Mal is the fearless Captain that keeps Jayne on the straight-and-narrow!"

"Right!" Jayne cheered, standing up now to continued his obviously well-thought-out reasoning, "Without Malcolm, Jayne is just another higher goon with a gun. But Mal helps him to think about the people, to truly be 'The Hero of Canton!'"

"The Hero of Canton?" I questioned curiously, made worse when Carter groaned, apparently knowing what was to come. Even Jo cringed slightly. And I soon learned why…

"Jayne!  
>The Man they call Jayne!" Jayne began to sing horrible off-key at the top of his voice.<p>

I flinched and threw Jo a questioning look; she gave me a lopsided smile as she held a hand to her pregnant stomach. My bet would be the baby had kicked in protest for Jayne's singing!

"He robbed from the rich and he gave to the poor,  
>He stood up to the man and gave him what for." Jayne continued cheerfully, now stomping around the room in some circular fashion that I can only guess was to the song's original tempo.<p>

I don't think I have _ever_ been as happy to see my daughter's husband as I was in that moment when he walked through the front door. Jayne stopped his singing and ran headlong for his father, who caught him in a bear hug and swung Jayne around in his arms.

"Why, oh why, did your mother teach you that song?" Zane sighed dramatically as he set Jayne back down, expressively motioning with his hands as he teased the boy, "I heard you outside!"

"That's the point!" Jayne replied, taking his seat again and sticking his tongue out at the room as he smiled up at his mother, "When you are expressing your love for Jayne you're suppose to _express it to the world_! Right mom?"

Jo grinned proudly around the room, a triumphant smirk aimed at her husband, "And thus, another Firefly fan may be born." Both Carter and Zane rolled their eyes, I had no doubt this was something Jo had said many times before.

"Alright, so the baby's going to be a Mal?" I chuckled out, and Zane nodded his head in defeat.

"Malcolm Wash Donovan," Zane replied, nudging Jayne with his foot, "Cause you got to respect your pilots right?"

"Right!" Jayne nodded with a grin.

"And he's obviously going to be a Firefly fan," Carter joked from his seat.

I looked over to him, "And why's that?"

He motioned to the three Donovans in front of him, "It's obviously genetic!"

"And your next!" Jayne declared ominously, looking at me with devious eyes.

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	3. 13: Perpetual Trouble

Sheriff Carter shows the new general around the town, and stumbles up a rather commonly found source of trouble: Jayne Donovan. Jack's POV, K.

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><p>Genetics<br>Perpetual Trouble  
>Age: 13<p>

I am use to the all the sudden surprises of Eureka, really, I am. The new general, however, is not. Mansfield _finally_ retired last month and General Durango was just assigned. And apparently as sheriff, it is my job to show him around town and escort him back to GD to meet with Fargo and Allison.

But the new guy was not prepared for what awaited us there! He watched quizzically when the barely teenage boy came racing into the rotunda, no doubt from the security office. Probably stole something, again! I am never surprised anymore though…

"Hey Uncle Jack!" the boy greeted me as he squeezed through the space between myself and the new general. He pushed us as close together as his minimal strength allowed him and hid there. It was lucky he was such a small kid, otherwise the whole thing would not have worked so well.

"What'd you do this time Jayne?" I chuckled out in amusement. I waved off the general's worry, shooting him a reassured look so he knew this was normal. Which he was.

"Not much, just borrowed a few parts from the mechanical engineering section for a small project," Jayne whispered as he eyed the way he had come carefully. He was grinning up at me nervously with puppy-dog blue eyes, hoping I would side with him, "Mom's a little annoyed though."

"Borrowed huh?" I laughed, waiting for the impending doom that was coming for the kid. He shrugged innocently, looking more like a child than a teenager.

Jayne was a pretty small kid, smaller than most his age anyway. He had messy black hair that hung just a little longer than his mother would like. And an intellect that some said might rival his dad's someday. Which is sort of scary, given his proficiency for trouble…

"Well someone has to build something useful," Jayne said teasingly, grinning at the general who was now looking at me like I was insane. Yeah, he was really humble about his intelligence too. The only person the boy never talked back to was…

"Jayne Louis Donovan!" Jo yelled as she stomped into the rotunda. She already had a taser in her hand which I knew meant her patience was running out. Not a surprise given that it was summer break and Jayne was spending it _all_ at GD.

The boy behind me actually 'meeped' at the sound of his mother's anger. Even the general was paling next to me. Oh yeah… Josephine Lupo-Donovan is not someone I want angry at me!

Jo dropped a familiar looking tablet on the ground. It had a camo print design and was covered in post-it notes with all sorts of jumbled equations scrawled out on them. It could be no one but Jayne's. The small gasp he made as it hit the floor confirmed such information.

Jo grinned viciously at the tablet and pulled out her handgun. She pointed it and her taser at the tablet, "Come out or Lucy gets it!"

Jayne jumped out from behind the general and I. He ran for his computer and slide across the floor to ensure that it was out of the line of fire. Smart boy…

"Mom!" Jayne screeched, looking at her like she had just tried to shoot his puppy, "You promised never to hurt Lucy!"

"I promised not to hurt Lucy if you behaved this summer," Jo argued back, glaring down her son, "And have you?" The kid looked shamefully at his feet.

Yeah…There was really no way to argue that he had behaved. Not after the small fire last week and the mini-explosion the week before that. And then there was the anti-gravity skateboard incident the first week of summer…

I nodded thoughtfully, the kid had caused _way_ too much trouble this summer.

"Come on," Jo grabbed the neck of his hoodie and dragged him back towards the security office. I tried to hide the grin on my face as he solemnly went with her to be locked in her cell for an hour.

Jayne caught me laughing and narrowed his eyes at me as he yelled, "You could at least look a little sympathetic Uncle Jack!"

"I could!" I called back, still laughing lightly.

"Does that happen often?" General Durango asked curiously, looking slightly worrisome.

"Nah, only about once a week I'd say. More common during the summer though," I told him honestly, grinning slightly at his discomfort, "He rarely does anything_ too_ bad in any case."

"Rarely?" I swear I heard a note of fear in his voice, "But he's a kid."

"Wait till you meet his dad, the top physicist," I warned him as I rocked back on my feet, "It's genetic."

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	4. 14: Smiles

Jayne is in trouble at school and Principle Monroe is concerned. Grace's POV first, then Zoe's briefly. K.

Disclaimer: I do not own Eureka.

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><p>Genetics<br>Smiles  
>Age: 14<p>

Jayne is a thoughtful child. Extremely intelligent too. I have come to realize he is resourceful as well. At least the GD mechanics seem to think so, what with the multiple times his appearance has coincided with the disappearance of materials…

While Jayne often pushes the envelope, he rarely crosses the line into serious trouble. Jo has raised him to understand the difference and Zane has taught him the consequences.

That was why I was so surprised to have him in my office. What could Jayne do to be in this much trouble? And, more importantly, why would he get in to it?

"Alright, JL, why are you here?" I asked him with a quirk in my smile, trying to get the angry look off his face. Which was hard to look at on him, Jayne was such a happy child usually.

"Principle Monroe, I caught him fighting with another student!" Dr. Ryan, the math teacher, explained with a bit too much excitement. It was no secret he had a strong dislike for Jayne…

"Why were you fighting Jayne?" I questioned soothingly, giving him a knowing look and an encouraging smile, "It's not like you at all." And it definitely wasn't! Jayne is much smaller than all of his classmates and wouldn't stand much of a chance in straight-up fist-fight.

"What does it matter why? He's a troublemaker!" Dr. Ryan ranted angrily. I know he only said that though because Jayne was always correcting him in class.

"Dr. Ryan!" I snapped at him, giving him a warning look before I added calmly, "Why don't we let Mr. Donovan answer this one."

I could tell Jayne was getting defensive. His eyes were set like stone on the floor angrily. He had crossed his arms to wall himself in. I nearly sighed; Dr. Ryan had made this much harder than it needed to be.

The scrawny fourteen-year-old was obviously angry. I had known him his whole life and the only time he had acted like this before was when his grandfather died last year. Jayne had been very close with General Lupo and had taken his death worse than anyone, even Jo.

It was bad enough he had completely closed himself off then, not talking to anyone but his brother for almost a month. I wasn't going to let it happen a second time. I wouldn't protect Dr. Ryan from Jo's wrath if he had anything to do with it either…

I waited patiently for an answer. A few moments passed and Jayne finally loosened up, "They made fun of me." Dr. Ryan scoffed in the corner and Jayne's eyes narrowed in his direction.

I sent the mathematician another warning glare before I probed deeper, "How?"

"Said I was small. And that Jayne was a girl's name," Jayne expanded slowly, watching Dr. Ryan out of the corner of his eyes. I could tell there was more, but there was no way Jayne was going to say it in front of the math teacher.

"Mr. Ryan, why don't you go wait outside," I order him away with a charismatic smile. He begrudgingly went, and I turned back to Jayne as the door swung shut to my office, "Was there anything else?"

"I just got tired of being a doormat, not like _that idiot_ was going to help me, so I took care of it myself," Jayne defended himself, glaring at the spot Dr. Ryan had last been. It was obvious who 'that idiot' was. I almost didn't catch the last bit he whispered it so quietly, "Lupos don't back down from a fight."

Aha! See, I knew it! No fourteen-year-old could hold everything in; eventually they were bound to blow. And Jayne had done just that. I guess I should feel lucky that it was against one of the other scrawny brainiacs, otherwise the fight might have actually been…fight-like?

"Brains over brawn are better sometimes Jayne," I told him with a sigh, "What would you tell Mal to do in this situation?"

His blue eyes rolled at this, "I'd tell him to get you." I smirked, and he sighed, "Fine, I won't fight anymore." Jayne uncrossed his arms, running his hands through his messy dark locks instead.

"Since you've never done anything like this before I am going to let you off with a warning," Jayne grinned happily, "But I am going to tell your mother about it," and then it fell.

I smiled as he groused; he did not even bother trying his puppy dog eyes on me since they never worked.

"You can go now, I'll call your mother later tonight, give you a chance to tell her first," I told him, and he jumped out of the chair cheerfully. His normal, happy smile back on his face just like it was suppose to be.

"See ya!" Jayne called over his shoulder as he left the room, smirking at Dr. Ryan, "I can't _wait_ for class tomorrow." I could have sworn I heard Dr. Ryan whimper at that, but he later insisted that I misheard.

-E-E-E-E-

"Jayne!" three-year-old Malcolm Donovan yelled as he pointed out the window. I looked up from the chart I was reading just as a knock sounded on my office door. Little Mal watched me with narrow eyes as I slowly opened the door, nodding his approval only when Jayne stepped.

Mal was just a toddler, but he managed to communicate just fine with very few words. His dark brown eyes could just look at you and somehow you would just know exactly what he wanted.

"Heya Doc," Jayne smiled at me as he picked his brother up, "Ready, Mal?" Mal nodded as Jayne lifted him on his back for a piggyback ride. Mal giggled like the child he was as his brother twirled him around before they started towards the door again.

I watched as the two brothers left, Mal pulling one of the ear buds hanging around Jayne neck to his ear. The little boy giggled again at whatever song was playing as he hung from his brother.

"Bye, Ms. Zoe!" Jayne called as he closed the door of my clinic. I shook my head, laughing; nothing ever seemed to wipe away their smiles for long. It had to be genetic…

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	5. 15: Driving Lessons

Jack teaches Jayne how to drive. Jack's POV. Rated K.

Disclaimer: I do not own Eureka

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><p>Genetics<br>Driving Lessons  
>Age: 15<p>

"And I have to do this why?" I questioned, my face probably already contorting into panic I'm sure!

Zane rolled his eyes, "Jo won't let me do it, something about my driving record."

Jo elbowed him in the stomach as she gave me a pleading look, "You're the best defensive driver in Eureka, you drive in all the disasters! Please!"

"Ah…" I whimpered, scratching the back of my head nervously, "Can't we draw straws or something?"

-E-E-E-

"Easy now, easy!" I shouted as my truck took another fast turn, I clung to my seat for dear life. Glaring in the direction of the _maniac_ that was smiling ear to ear in the driver's seat.

"Come on Uncle Jack, where's you sense of adventure?" Jayne chuckled at what I'm sure was my very _unamused_expression before hitting the gas.

"Slow down!" I yelled, stopping my foot on the floor of my jeep and wishing for a brake peddle like I never have before. I could see why Jo had been against Zane teaching him now, the town wouldn't survive the two maniacs together!

Oh no… What would happen when they started working together? I paled.

The car screeched to a stop outside Café Diem, "Something wrong Uncle Jack?" I looked over at the excited teenager, flabbergasted.

"Who in the hell gave you a drivers' permit?" I said after a moment, his blues eyes lit up like Christmas lights.

"Dr. Ryan," Jayne said matter-a-factly, "I might have implied I'd sign up for _his_ drivers' ed class every semester until I got it."

Putting my face in one hand I used the other to point to an open space, "Park." I didn't look up, especially not when I heard the familiar crunch of metal hitting metal.

Will my truck ever last more than a few months?

Please don't let it be genetic! I don't want to go through this with Mal too!

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